Los Angeles Rams: Ranking the last six first-round picks
By Jason Reed
1. Aaron Donald, 2014
It could not have been anyone else. Not only is Aaron Donald the best first-round pick the team has made since 2013, he is one of the best first-round picks in franchise history and is the best defensive player in the entire game of football.
Donald is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, having won the award in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018 and very well could have won the award in 2019 as well. He had another great season but because the Rams had fallen off, and he did not have as good of a year as 2018, the narrative swung in favor of Stephon Gillmore.
Donald has been a Pro Bowler in all six of his seasons in the NFL and has been named an All-Pro in the last five. He led the NFL in sacks in 2018 with 20.5 and has 72 career sacks through six seasons.
To put that into perspective, Donald ranks ninth all-time in sacks through six seasons and he is an interior defensive lineman. The eight other players to record 70 or more sacks in their first six seasons are all defensive ends or linebackers.
What Donald has done for the Los Angeles Rams is nothing short of remarkable and if he can continue the pace he is on then he will undoubtedly go down as one of the best defensive players of all-time.
Next. Ranking the recent cuts as potential fits. dark
He is the face of the franchise and alongside Gurley and Goff, represent three pillars for the team to build around in 2020 and the foreseeable future.